Down in Holyrood where the squid-jiggin's good,
And the oil refinery's a-hummin' away;
The flame from The Eagle, the cross up the hill,
The prettiest picture in Conception Bay.
It's the prettiest picture in Conception Bay.

####.... Willie Arsenault ....####

Recorded by Heritage (Rub-A-Dub-Dub's A Long Way From Toronto, trk#8, 1975, recorded at Echo Recording Studio, St John's, NL by Jack Winsor). Heritage was three medical students from Memorial University: Willie Arsenault, St Jacques; Harold Crewe, Port aux Basques; and Phil Simms, St John's, who came together by accident in February 1974, in order to sing "Rub-A-Dub Dub", Willie's entry in the Confederation Song Contest, held to celebrate Newfoundland's 25th-Anniversary of Confederation.

Notes excerpted from Newfoundland Tourism:
Come into Holyrood by boat and look straight ahead... With a bit of imagination, the land forms a cross. The first to arrive made that association and named the place Holyrood, since rood (rod) was the old English name for cross. In the middle of the cross, there is an impressive mountain. It was named George Cove Mountain, thought to be named after George Veitch who anchored his banking schooner in the cove below.
During World War II, many personnel stationed at the Argentia Naval Base came to Holyrood. The climb up the mountain became a popular pastime. Up at the top, they could enjoy a beautiful view of Holyrood and look far out to sea. Some of the men thought this would be a great place for a cross. They made a large wooden cross which stood for many years until it eventually deteriorated and was blown over the mountain during a nor'westerly gale.

In 1966, the Government of Newfoundland sponsored a Come Home Year Celebration to which relatives, friends and Newfoundlanders living all over the world were invited. One of the projects Holyrood had that year was the placement of an illuminated cross on the mountain.

Through the cooperation of management and workers at the Holyrood refinery, a communications tower was dismantled, flown by helicopter to the mountain, and reconstructed into a cross. It has been on top of George Cove Mountain ever since, standing as a welcoming light to all who approach Holyrood by land, sea or air.

From the History of Holyrood:The Eagle - In the late 1950s, Golden Eagle (Ultramar) Oil Refinery Ltd, was created on the shores of the south side. This facility covered an area of about 80 acres (320,000 m2) and took over two years to construct. When completed it employed about 75 full-time workers as well as many part-time and seasonal workers. Over the years the refinery flourished and expanded from its initial capacity of 70(X) barrels a day to over 15000 barrels a day by the mid 1970s. The refinery's workforce brought many new residents and families to the community. Alas, the refinery became one of the casualties of the economic downturn in the oil industry in the early 1980s. The refinery capability was discontinued at that time and the facility used for storage of products refined elsewhere.